


Misty’s Apology

by CelestialAuthor, raritysdiamonds



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Bullying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, slight reference to past Ash/Serena
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 23:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15205451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialAuthor/pseuds/CelestialAuthor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/raritysdiamonds/pseuds/raritysdiamonds
Summary: When a slip of the tongue from Misty forces Ash to relive a miserable memory, will she be able to swallow her pride and apologise?





	Misty’s Apology

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little Pokeshipping fluff we cooked up :3 hope you guys like! <3

Jessie, James and Meowth of the world-infamous Team Rocket were flying high in their hot air balloon, scouring the land below them for trainers and their Pokemon to steal.    
  
"Hey, Jess, look down there - there's a Ninetales!" James grabbed his partner’s attention and pointed down to where he’d seen the Pokemon with its female trainer.   
  
"Perfect, looks like it's time for a spot of dognapping," Jessie smirked.

"Net all ready to fire," Meowth commented, picking up the controller for the remote controlled net launcher attached to the bottom of their basket. They launched the net and dragged in the Ninetales.

"HEY! I want my Ninetales back!" the trainer whined as she watched her Pokemon soar above her head and into the waiting arms of Team Rocket.

"Hey, did you guys hear anything?" Ash asked Misty and Brock, as they were only a few hundred yards or so behind as Team Rocket were making their escape.    
  
"I don't think I heard anything, Ash," Misty answered.    
  
"I'm sure I heard something, I'm gonna run on ahead and check it out. C'mon, Pikachu," Ash called out as he started to sprint towards the direction the noise was coming from. 

He burst into the clearing and spotted a young brunette girl, on her knees pleading to have her Ninetales returned to her. Ash looked up and saw his three biggest foes. 

"Team Rocket! Not this again. Pikachu... Thunderbolt 'em," Ash ordered his Pikachu, who duly obliged, sending Team Rocket blasting off again. Thinking quickly, he released his Noctowl from its Pokeball and ordered it to save the girl’s Ninetales. 

Misty and Brock made it into the clearing as the girl was hugging her Ninetales.

  
"Ash! What happened?" Brock asked.    
  
"Team Rocket tried to take this girl's Ninetales," Ash answered.    
  
"You mean you don't recognise me, Ashy boy?" the girl asked. Ash turned around to have a proper look at her - he hadn’t bothered before as he was too busy focusing on stopping Jessie, James and Meowth.

"Macy!" Ash exclaimed as he finally noticed that it was his old rival from the Johto League Silver Conference. She took him by surprise as she ran over to him and threw her arms around him.    
  
"Oh, Ashy boy, you're so brave and heroic for saving my Ninetales. How can I ever thank you?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him.    
  
"It was nothing," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his free arm.    
  
"I know! How about we finally have that date and then get married and become the greatest Pokemon trainer couple in history?" Macy suggested excitedly, not letting go of Ash. Ash tried to wriggle free and calm Macy down, but she had a tight grip on him. 

As Misty heard Macy’s flirtatious tone, she felt sick to her stomach. Jealousy and envy coursing through her veins, she snapped at them. 

"Macy, why would you wanna date a short shrimp like him?"    
  
"Short? Shrimp?" Ash repeated the two words, and he felt like he'd just been punched. His heart dropped and before anyone could do anything he broke free of Macy's hug, turned around and ran past Misty and Brock, not stopping until he was sure he was deep enough in the forest that they wouldn't be able to see him. He slid down against a tree, brought his knees up to his chest and began to cry.

 

* * *

“Shrimp! Shrimp! Shrimp!”

“Shut up! I am not!” Ash yelled through the taunts of the kids surrounding him. He stood with his fists clenched, desperately fighting the tears stinging his eyes, because crying would only prove them right.

“Aww, Ashy boy, are you gonna  _ cry _ ? Like a teeny wittle  _ baby? _ ” Gary jeered, his mocking laughter ringing out even louder than all the others combined. “They don’t let babies train Pokemon, you know! You’re so weedy, I bet you couldn’t even handle a Caterpie!”

Ash knew he was teasing - Gary wasn’t even that much taller than him - but his words still cut deep, because what if he was  _ right _ ? What if he never grew any taller, and he might never be allowed to own a Pokemon? The thought made his stomach twist and turn with dread, and when he opened his mouth to yell back at him, to his horror, only a choked sob escaped.

“Leave him alone!” A female voice unexpectedly came to Ash’s defence as a girl brushed past him, planting herself between Ash and his tormentors. Blinking away the tears, he looked up in surprise as he recognised her.

_ The straw hat girl? Serena!  _ he thought to himself, remembering the girl’s name from when he’d helped her a few days ago. Now, he was wondering what she was doing getting between himself and Gary. 

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Gary sneered. Serena didn't say a word, she just stood in between Ash and Gary. 

"Please, he hasn't done anything to you," Serena pleaded.

"C'mon, let's leave the babies alone together," Gary scoffed as he led his group of friends away. As soon as they were gone, Serena turned around to Ash.    
  
"Are you okay?" she asked.   
  
"I'm fine," Ash lied, wiping the tears away from his eyes.    
  
"Bullies are the worst," Serena huffed.    
  
"Yeah," Ash agreed quietly. He still looked upset, so Serena quickly thought of an idea to try and cheer him up.    
  
"Hey, wanna go and see if we can find some Pokemon?" she enquired.

"YEAH!" Ash exclaimed, his mood changing at the mention of Pokemon. His tears dried instantly and a wide, beaming smile replaced the frown he'd been wearing moments ago.   
  


* * *

 

“Ash? Are you okay?”

Ash’s head jerked up as a different, but equally concerned voice echoed Serena’s words, and he found himself looking into Misty’s worried eyes.

“Fine! I’m not crying!” he insisted, the situation a little too deja vu for his liking. But Misty didn’t tease him like Gary when he rubbed his eyes, as she knelt down next to him in the tall grass.

“Is this because I called you short?” she asked, with what sounded like guilt in her voice. “I really didn’t think you’d be so upset…Ash, I’m sorry. You’re not that short. And even if you are, just a little, it’s okay! It doesn’t change who you are inside. It won’t stop you becoming a great Pokemon master.”

“I know that - hey, what do you mean a  _ little _ ?” Ash protested, but he found himself grinning, and he knew from her relieved smile that she really meant it. “Nothing’s gonna stop me! But…” He faltered, the mocking  _ shrimps _ still echoing in his mind. “Why’d you have to say it like that?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted…” Misty’s voice rose, her tone turning sharp and defensive - more like the Misty he knew. “I wanted Macy to back off, okay?”

“Huh?” Ash frowned, not getting it. “Why?”

“ _ Because! _ I don’t know!” Misty snapped, her cheeks now glowing Cherrim-red. “Because I didn’t like her being all lovey-dovey with you! Because - she’s not…”

“She’s not what _?  _ A good trainer?” That didn’t seem to help, as Misty let out a frustrated groan, smacking her palm against her head. She was acting so  _ weird _ , he couldn’t stop himself from snickering. “C’mon, Misty, it’s not like  _ I  _ wanna date Macy!”

“Good! I mean - really?” Misty looked at him, her eyes wide like she’d said something she shouldn’t. “Then why didn’t you tell her?”

Ash shrugged, leaning back against the tree trunk. “She’s stronger than she looks! Anyway, I thought it was kinda funny. Didn’t you?”

The idea of doing any mushy stuff with Macy was  _ so _ gross Ash grimaced in horror, screwing up his nose and sticking out his tongue like Haunter, until Misty started to giggle too.

“Yeah, I guess it is funny. But, you know…” she smirked, a teasing sparkle in her eye, “Some girls just think short guys are cute! Like a fluffy little Pokemon.”

“ _ Cute _ ?! I’m not fluffy! I’m not a Pokemon!” Ash protested, his own cheeks heating up as he puffed his chest out in his best powerful, totally-not-all-cute Pokemon master pose. “Misty, quit being gross!”

“ _ You’re _ gross!”

Ash tugged her ponytail, not hard enough to really hurt, but she yelped and tackled him to the ground, both of them giggling like little kids as they wrestled playfully. When they finally got up - even after she’d pulled on Ash’s ear hard enough to get him to admit she’d won - Ash felt like a weight had been lifted.

“Okay, enough already, we gotta go!” Ash caught Misty’s eye as he got to his feet; she stuck out her tongue and he gave her the stink-eye back, but her smile was real, that familiar mix of exasperation and fondness she only looked at Ash with. Just like all those years ago, he felt warm and fuzzy inside, as if he’d swallowed a Fennekin. “Those badges aren’t gonna win themselves!”

As they grinned at each other before heading back to join Brock and Pikachu, Ash had to admit, if anyone had to call him short - or even cute - he was kind of glad it was Misty.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and feedback is always appreciated! <3


End file.
